This invention relates to a cup holding apparatus which is provided mainly inside a motorcar room.
In the Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application No. 179850/1987, there is disclosed a cup holding apparatus in which a base portion, which constitutes a containing portion for containing therein a cup holder for holding a cup, is concavely provided in an instrument panel or a console box inside a motorcar room, and a hinged lid is attached to the base portion such that, at the time of closing the lid, the cup holder can be contained in such a manner as to be held between the lid and the base portion. This apparatus is arranged as follows. Namely, a pair of first links are rotatably connected at respective one end to the base portion. A pair of second links are rotatably connected at respective one end to the lid. The other ends of the first pair of links are rotatably connected to the other ends of the second pair of links, respectively. A cup holder is rotatably supported by one pair out of the two pairs of links so that it can be inclined about a horizontal axis. When the first and the second links are extended obliquely at the time of opening the lid, the cup holder is pulled or taken out of the containing portion.
The reason why the cup holder is rotatably supported by one pair out of the two pairs of links is to make sure that the cup holder can be inclined into a posture along the base portion when the two pairs of links are folded down. As a consequence, in the above-described apparatus, when the cup holder is pulled out by the opening operation of the lid, the holder must be manually changed in its posture to a horizontal one, resulting in a troublesome operation. It has another disadvantage in that the cup holder is unstable, even after making it horizontal, resulting in lack of stability.